3 1/2 Mo Old with ?Yeast

Updated on November 08, 2008
J.B. asks from Lees Summit, MO
37 answers

Okay, here is my issue. I wash my daughter's neck area everyday - like most moms because she spits up and it runs under her chin. Like all abbies she has fat folds up there, and I make sure to wash in them everyday. However, she has gotten a yeast looking reddened area under her folds now in her neck. It smells like yeast/sweat, and hurts her for me to wash it. It reminds me of a yeast infection or heat rash for us women in our below region. For me, I'd apply cornstarch based powder (like shower to shower or baby powder) and be done. But what do I do for a 3 1/2 month old when the recommendation is no baby powder? Washing it daily isn't helping it dry up or heal. I am afraid to use moist methods and grow anything under there since she obviously sweats there and formula drips into there. PLEASE any suggestions are welcome and needed. Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the great advice! I used cornstarch and applied it using a make-up brush to use it sparingly and without the "cloud". It is drying up nice and doesn't have a smell to anymore. Thanks to everyone who responded!!

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T.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I believe that the 'no baby powder' is for the diaper area not the neck - you should be able to apply it there with no problems. Good luck

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P.A.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi J.,
My daughter had the same thing when she was about that age and I just used regular corn starch. I just gently put in on with my finger,so it would not get in the air for her to breathe.I think that is the main concern with using powder,that they breathe it, and this way she does not have to. It helped right away and still now,when she is a year old,if she very rarely gets it I just dap a little bit of corn starch on it and it goes away.
Pernille

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H.H.

answers from Kansas City on

my daughter had this and we used cortaid. It worked pretty well when we used it daily but took over a week to go away the first time. When we quit using it the spot would come back pretty quick.

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C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

J., i would use the baby powder- just put the powder in your hand a little at a time and pat it directly onto her neck instead of sprinkling from the container. the only reason they don't "recommend" you to use it, is because you don't want her to breathe it in. she should also be having tummy time like someone else suggested. i would do it right after you powder her, that way it stays dry and can breathe a bit. (just another thought, my first idea would be to treat it just like diaper rash, and maybe put some ointment on it as well as the powder, but you should probably call your doctor and see what he/she says) good luck, hope she feels better soon.

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Use straight corn starch,it won't hurt

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A.C.

answers from St. Louis on

Talk to your pediatrition, but usually they recommend using women's yeast infection cream. They may also give you a prescription for the same thing.

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E.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Take her to her pediatrician and they will prescribe Nystatin ointment to put on it, or at least they should. Yeast breeds in warm, moist environments so keeping it clean and dry is a must. Lots of babies have this problem because of spit up. Are you keeping a bib on her? Use the plain terry cloth ones with out the plastic backing and change them 3 or 4 times a day. Thats what I did with my kiddos and it helped clear up the problem, that and the fact that they grew like weeds and eventually lost thier baby fat rolls :(. Good luck to you and I would definantly take her to the doc. E.

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E.M.

answers from St. Louis on

1st of all you are doing everything right! Keeping it clean is the best thing you can do. I would recommend using Aquafore, it's super thick and will act as a protectant.
I had the same thing with my 2nd kid, my 1st was a skinny little thing, no rolls. My 2nd would get it and after a day of the Aquafore, it would clear up, but keep doing what you are doin. Keep it clean and use the Aquafore. If you haven't used Aquafore yet, you can use it for everything! We use it on diaper rash, dry skin, dry lips, etc. We use it a lot in winter after bath time, helps with dry skin.

Good luck!

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R.M.

answers from Topeka on

It sounds like yeast to me ...and my guess is the best move is to call your pediatrician...he/she may be willing to make a suggestion without seeing your daughter in the office.
The yeast is related to the same thing that causes athletes foot and can be treated with some of the same over the counter ointments/powders that are used for that condition but I would hesitate to use them on such a young baby without speaking with your doctor first. If your doctor tells you to get some over the counter product, talk to your pharmacist to see what he/she would recommend.
In order to keep this from happening on a continuing basis could I suggest that you ask your doctor if it is alright to put some baby powder or gold bond powder on your baby's neck folds...after you have thoroughly dried the area?? Just a small amount, is the palm of your hand could be applied without a lot of it getting into the air where she might inhale it. Maybe you could use a bib or a spit-up cloth to try to minimize how damp the neck gets as she is eating?
Good luck and enjoy that precious baby girl of yours!!

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C.S.

answers from Kansas City on

I would try diaper rash cream. I know it sounds crazy but it protects there bottom when they have a diaper rash and I believe it will help with under her neck. Good luck.

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M.G.

answers from Kansas City on

J., Use the baby powder. Put a cloth or something over her face while you quickly treat her neck. That way she won't inhale the powder.

Goog Luck, M.

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M.T.

answers from St. Louis on

J.,

You can get a cream at the pharmacy called Vanicream. It's behind the counter so you have to ask for it, but it's not expensive. This cream was developed by a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic. It is the best cream for almost any type of skin irritation. It is very mild, non allergic,no smell and it will take care of that irritation on your baby. Make sure that she doesn't have moist cloth around her neck for any length of time. If she is a drooler or spits up a lot, get several little bibs and change them regularly so she isn't moist under her chin. Vanicream is the best cream I have ever encountered. I use it daily as a moisturizer. It will take care of the problem.

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K.S.

answers from Kansas City on

I would put Tea Tree Oil on it. It is a natural fighter of that kind of thing and is not at all dangerous to her. It has a strong smell so if that bothers you....but, I find it's worth the smell to treat thing natrually :).

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T.W.

answers from Kansas City on

Call your doctor or a pharmacist and ask if it is okay to use vaginal yeast infection medication/cream on the area????

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M.S.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi, I happen to also be a lactation counselor with years of experience in health care. If you are nursing, you can take pro biotics, eat yougurt, etc. Also, you need to use a barrier cream on her (just like for diaper rash and bed sores...) such as A&D or Desetin, etc. Good luck!

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A.D.

answers from Kansas City on

You're doing everything right. Keep it clean, dry it the best you can and encourage tummy time to help her keep her chin up and air it out. My daughter had the same problem...she was a chubby one (thinned out nicely since she's been mobile, so don't worry!) and whew...it got stinky.
I felt like such a bad mommy...and when I talked to a friend about it who had a little boy 9 months older than my dd, she laughed and said the same thing happened to them...so don't worry...you're in good company.
We did use a bit of babypowder on it once it was dry after a bath (they don't use talc in the powder anymore, so it's not a worry...just put it onto your hands and apply...don't squeeze the bottle to let it get airborne). I also used "diaper rash cream" like Boudreaux's Butt Paste on it, and that helped a lot. If it's still not healing up, ask the doc for a cream or powder that has an antifungal agent in it.
It does get better as they get more mobile and can hold that head straight!
Hang in there!

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C.C.

answers from Columbia on

J.,

I know you've already found a solution, but I wanted to offer two other things that have worked for me in the past.

My oldest daughter, now 17, had several yeast infections as a baby (she was allergic to most disposable diapers and every time we used them...) and will get yeast infections if she is on an antibiotic.

The first is simply Neosporin. If it is mild, then this is the option I'd try first.

If it is more advanced, then buy Lotrimin (over the counter--it is used for athlete's foot) and extra-strength hydrocortisone. Mix equal quatities of the two together (you can store it in a plastic container with a lid for future uses). Apply the creme mixture to the yeast rash. My daughter's doctor suggested this to us when she was very young and it was amazing how quickly it cleared up an infection.

Congratulations, New Mom!

C.

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A.B.

answers from Fayetteville on

my daughter had this BAD too--i know they say don't use powder because they can inhale it so what i did-after trying a few other things-was during a bath I tried to gently exfoliate it with Aveeno cleanser then dry it thoroughly and put a little powder in my hand off to the side and then lay(LOOSELY!) her blankie on her face and prub the powder onto the area so not to make a "powder cloud" and then of course take the blanie off her face. I hope that doesn't sound bad lol That's the only thing I could find that worked. If it gets too bad, your ped. make recommend an ointment like Neosporin-if so, keep that stuff, its good for all sorts of things. Plus, if you can keep her dry as much as possible-especially during feedings, that will help.

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D.C.

answers from Kansas City on

I would try baby rash creme.

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M.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I would just call her doctors office. They may just tell you what to do over the phone, but if they think she should be seen they will have you come in.

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G.T.

answers from Kansas City on

It could be a yeast infection and she needs to see the doctor for a cream to put on it G.

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K.B.

answers from Wichita on

Good Morning J., Why no Powder? We use baby powder with aloe or corn starch, for our 1 yr old gr son. He gets red area's like your little one too. His Nurse always said to cleanse it throughly and keep it dry.

I know when my neice was born 18 yrs ago my sister said no powder as it can get in their lungs. I guess I am from the older generation that survived everything our Momma did for us. We ever had Burnt flour on our hinnys to stop diaper rash quicker. Works too.

I think if you place the powder on your hands and rub it under her chin, there is less chance of her inhaling it.
Just my opinion.

God Bless and good luck
K. Nana of 5

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L.B.

answers from St. Joseph on

Goldbond medicated powder works perfect for those situations...don't use it straight from bottle...put powder in your hand then apply to babies skin. If that doesn't clear it up in a couple of days I would recommend going to see the Dr. on Monday.

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S.W.

answers from Kansas City on

We had the same problem with my granddaughter and the doctors office told us to get monistat 7, yes the same thing that women use down there. It worked great and cleared it up within a week.

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R.H.

answers from St. Louis on

I babysat a little girl one time with this same problem. Her parents left for the day and we were having fun playing until after she was finished with her bottle and had spit up. When I went to clean her up, I noticed the same problem on the little girl's neck, only the top layer was a greenish color and didn't appear to have been wiped for days. So, I had heard that baby powder can be okay if used sparingly and correctly. The correct way to use baby powder is to sprinkle it into your hand and then pat the area with your hand. It is supposed to keep the "dust" particles down and it is the dust that doctors don't like. Anyway, when her parents came home, I showed them what I had found and told them what I had done to treat it. The mother told me that after doing that for 3 days, and remembering to wash under her folds, the rash completely healed and the baby has not had a problem since and she is now 3-1/2 years old. So, my advice would be to use the powder, but maybe only once or twice a day, and the way that I mentioned above. Good luck.

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C.V.

answers from Kansas City on

I see you already got some advice and say the problem is taken care of but just for future I'd like to say a couple of things.The dcs don't want you shaking baby powder because they breathe it in.You can put a little in your hand and rub it on.I have done this with my nieces fat crease.I have actually had alot of experience with this perticular issue with kids i used to have in daycare and my nieces.A couple of other things that helps are vaseline or something like it,you could use udder balm or probably even neosporin.Glad to her it's better I hate when little babies have something painful.

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R.B.

answers from Springfield on

Hi there. My son went through this same thing when he was a baby. His pediatrician and all the nurses told me to use corn starch and nothing else. Shower to shower and baby powder have perfumes which will just irritate it further, but go ahead and use corn starch... also when you are washing and drying it... blot it dont rub and also keep a blankie on hand to blot it off and on through out the day. Keep on eye on it to make sure it isnt getting moist and jut gently keep reapplying the corn starch. Hope this helps

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N.C.

answers from St. Joseph on

Put Desitin on it. My daughter had the same problem. Under her chin and in the folds on her legs. That is what my dr told me to do. Desitin or Aquaphor. something to keep a barrier there. I really liked using the desitin thought because it would heal it also. I personally didn't like using the baby powder because I thought it would clump up and it wouldn't do anything. No need to buy expensive other creams. Diaper Rash cream works wonders.

Hope that helps.

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G.B.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi J. - my pediatrician always told me to wash my daughter's genital area wth baby oil only. Personally I would rcommend using baby oil to wash her neck also. I was told that the soap was irritating and the body tries to compensaate, resulting in what smells like a yeast infection. G.

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L.R.

answers from Kansas City on

With her being so little, I would take her to her pediatrician for advice on what to put on her neck. Or you can try bringing her to your local pharmacy and see if a pharmacist would recommend an ointment or a cream. Though, most pharmacist usually refrain from recommending stuff for infants and generally advise you to see your doctor.

If it is a yeast infection your doctor may recommend a cream like Vagisil, but in the mean time try washing the area with water and maybe skip the soap cause it can irritate the skin more and just make sure you pat the area dry and have air circulating though as much as you can. Fungus and yeast like to grow in moist warm areas.

Good luck

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S.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Call your doctor. There is a cream that he can give you a prescpription for but I can't remember the name of it. My daughter had a yeast infection when she was a year old and our doctor had us get this cream and she was feeling better in a day and it was gone in a couple of days. You could put this stuff on her and watch the redness go away. I wish I could remember the name of the stuff, but it's been 7 years since she had that. But I would call your doctor. Good luck

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L.K.

answers from Kansas City on

sounds like a yeast infection to me. something interesting
I found out as well-yeast feeds on cornstarch so you don't
want to use a powder anyway!! I didn't know that until a
few weeks ago. what I did with my son was putting Lotrimin
cream and hydrocortisone on the rash. he had a few really
bad yeast rashes on his diaper area after taking Omnicef,
which is an antibiotic for ear infections. the thing with
Lotrimin cream though is that it can burn sometimes. try
putting Desitin on the area to keep it drier and you might
want to call your pediatrician and see if he will give you
a prescription for Nystatin cream. it doesn't burn or sting
like Lotrimin can.

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T.W.

answers from Topeka on

Use diaper rash cream. It'll clear up in about a day. My son always got this.

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V.G.

answers from Wichita on

i am a fat person n years ago a friend of mine introduced me to a product called aquaphor. it looks like vaseiline but a littl goes a long way to heal up gaulding in sweaty wet spots. it seems to keep the usual wet spots dry n i used it on my girls. gl n i hope u find what works for u.

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K.C.

answers from Kansas City on

Talc is what you worry about with baby powder. Cornstarch babypowder isn't bad... but if it IS yeast, cornstarch will feed the yeast. It isn't too likely to have yeast in her neck, though. My kids both got red stinky necks, and I think the thing that helped the most was to be sure to wash and DRY it out really well. I did use cornstarch a bit too. I hope she's feeling better!

K.

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T.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Talk to your daughter's pediatrician. Our son had a rash at one point and they recommended Lotrimin AF (yes, that's athlete's foot medicine!). You could also try a non-talc based powder. Johnson and Johnson makes both kinds, so be sure to check to make sure it is made with cornstarch and not talc. Good luck!

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J.R.

answers from Joplin on

Are you breast feeding? If yes, you might want to start taking probiotics yourself so it will pass on to your baby. The probiotics fights yeast problems. Go to a health food store the person working there can probably suggest something that will help your baby. Good luck!

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